Most Likely to Kill by D.A. Wilkerson

Author:D.A. Wilkerson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: cozy mystery, murder mystery, 80s mystery, clean mystery, small town fiction, small town mystery, cozy mysteries, 80s books
Publisher: Dana Wilkerson, LLC
Published: 2022-07-22T00:00:00+00:00

TWELVE

Edna swept out of the room, and I poured the photos out of the envelope onto my lap. A few fell to the floor, and I snatched them up before Edna could come back and see how I was treating her property.

I quickly flipped through all the pictures, and then I went back and inspected each one more closely. I scooted my chair up to Edna’s desk, pulled out my notebook, and wrote down who was in each photo, especially when Paula was present.

In one of the last photos, Billy and Jeff Jenkins were talking in the foreground, and Paula was in the background. She was a little out of focus, but she was clearly holding a cup of punch and was in a group of people. A few of the others were obstructed by people closer to the camera, but Karla, Kyle, and Donna were all in view. Karla also held a cup, but I couldn’t see Donna and Kyle’s hands.

In the next photo, Karla and Kyle were no longer in the shot, and Donna and Paula were standing with one other person, but I couldn’t tell who. All I could see was a woman’s bare elbow. The back of Paula’s hand was pressed to her forehead, as if she wasn’t feeling well. I picked up the next snapshot, but it was of a completely different scene. Trixie and Anita were chatting by the door, so that shot would have been taken while I was in the bathroom.

I checked my watch and quickly scooped up the photos, put them back in the envelope, and shoved them into Edna’s drawer. Pastor Coker and Greg would not only be curious about my long absence but also worried. I rushed through the newsroom, thanked Edna as I passed, and walked back to the church as fast as my bad leg would allow.

The exertion left me breathing hard when I entered the office, which I realized too late would concern the men even more.

“Beckett! Where have you been? Are you okay?” Greg circled his desk, took me by the shoulders, leaned over to my eye level, and looked back and forth at my eyes.

Pastor Coker came out of his office. “Tell us what happened.” His eyes darted around the office, as if he’d find a would-be assailant hiding behind a file cabinet.

“I’m fine. I got distracted.” I had a split second to think of an excuse that wasn’t a lie. “I ran into Cheryl Stouffer—you know, my classmate who found Paula.”

Greg let his hands drop. “Oh, good. I mean, not good for her. But good that you’re fine.”

“How is Cheryl doing?” Pastor Coker asked.

“She’s still pretty upset.”

He nodded knowingly.

I scooted around my desk and dropped into my chair. Pastor Coker sat in one of the guest chairs near my desk.

“Many calls while I was gone?” I asked.

Greg sat on his desk. “A few. Mostly people wanting to know when and where the funeral will be. I hated to disappoint them, but we don’t know yet.

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